The Clean Energy Council (CEC) has been nominated as the product listing body (PLB) for solar panels and inverters eligible under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).
The product listing body plays a critical role in ensuring Australians maintain confidence in the quality standards of renewable energy products for households and small businesses. Solar panels and inverters must be approved by the product listing body to be eligible for small-scale technology certificates (STCs) under the SRES.
The appointment of the CEC follows the 2020 review of the Australian rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) sector that included an evaluation of the role, functions and governance of the Product Listing Body. The new service will deliver a better and more timely service to the industry.
This decision is a result of multiple consultations with industry and careful review of applications, to make sure the new PLB service meets the needs of the industry.
Concerns about the service delivery model raised by industry through the 2020 review included lengthy delays in product approvals, lack of transparency in the approval process, lack of technology advancement and high fees. These issues all resulted in costs and missed opportunities for the solar industry.
As a result, the Australian Government took a decision to review the product listing arrangements, including greater oversight and increased accountability for the delivery of the service.
Drawing from industry feedback, we designed a new service with non-negotiable requirements that would strengthen transparency and timeliness and provide more industry support. We then opened an application round for a new and improved SRES product listing service.
We received 2 submissions, including one from the CEC. These were assessed against mandatory criteria to ensure delivery of the improvements industry needed.
We advised of our intent to nominate CEC on 15 July 2024 and opened a 28-day consultation period for affected persons. We received 175 submissions from many different industry roles. Details of the submissions and our consideration of each are in this report.
We were satisfied the CEC would meet the requirements of the new service and deliver what they committed to in their application.
The cost to industry was also an important consideration. Our evaluation process showed the CEC’s overall fee structure showed better value for money for most industry participants. This includes no annual listing fees.
Our role has been strengthened to oversee the ongoing delivery of the CEC’s new and improved scheme through regular reporting, measurement against key performance indicators and process reviews.
We will continue to support the CEC, state and territory regulators and industry to transition to the new arrangement.
